Bobbin grasper

ABSTRACT

A self-centering compliant bobbin grasper which pneumatically holds empty and full bobbins for transport between a spinning frame and a loading station.

United States Patent John K. McCullough;

1017 Woodhurn Road;

Grady H. Sanders, 1586 Old Charlotte Rd.; Charles A. Wethington, 555 Lucerne Drive, all of Spartanburg, S.C. 29302 Appl. No. 750,262

Filed Aug. 5, 1968 Patented Jan. 11, 1972 Inventors BOBBIN GRASPER 1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figs.

[1.8. CI 294/67 BA, 57/52, 294/87 R Int. Cl 1366c 1/46 Field of Search... 294/87, 87

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,171,681 3/1965 Roller 294/87.2 3,059,405 10/1962 lngham, .lr.. 57/52 2,217,709 10/1940 Schmidt 294/87 3,123,967 3/1964 lngham 57/52 Primary ExaminerRichard E. Aegerter Assistant Examiner-Alfred N. Goodman Attorneys- Norman C. Armitage and H. William Petry ABSTRACT: A self-centering compliant bobbin grasper which pneumatically holds empty and full bobbins for transport between a spinning frame and a loading station.

PATENTED JAM 1 1972 INVENTORS JOHN K.McC OLLOUGH GRADY H. SANDERS CHARLES A.WETHINGTON ATTORNEY BOBBIN GRASPER This invention relates generally to improve bobbin graspers and in particular to empty and full bobbin graspers which are adapted to overhead donning of empty bobbins from a carrier onto a spindle and doffing of full bobbins from a spindle by an overhead carrier.

Overhead systems to doff full bobbins from a spinning frame and transport them to a loading station where they are deposited and empty bobbins are picked up and transported to the spinning frame are well known in the art as exemplified in U.S. Pats. No. 3,059,406, and No. 3,123,967. In most of these systems the empty and full bobbin graspers are rigidly secured to the carrier beam, thereby presenting a problem when some unusual circumstance arises. In one instance, if the empty bobbin is canted in the grasper it will either bend the spindle when the beam comes down to place the bobbin on the spindle or it will jam the rail so that it will not come all the way down to place all the empty bobbins on all the empty spindles of the spinning frame. Further, the empty bobbin grasper may be twisted or bent causing all the successive donning of bobbins from this grasper to malfunction. Also, problems can be encountered at the loading station where the full bobbins are deposited and the empty bobbins are picked up due to misalignment of either the bobbins and/or the loading pegs at the loading station.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a compliant bobbin grasper which will compensate for variations in alignment of either the bobbin or the position where the bobbin is to be deposited.

Another object of the invention is to provide a compliant bobbin grasper which will center itself after being relieved from a position where the grasper is in a distorted position.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following specification taken in connection with the drawing which forms part of this application, and in which:

FlG. 1 is a cross-sectional view through the carrier beam and the full and empty bobbin graspers, and

FIG. 2 is a view taken on line 22 of FIG. 1.

Looking now to the drawing, FIG. 1 is shown with a full bobbin 10 and an empty bobbin 12 in the graspers for purpose of description but this normally will only occur when the full bobbins have been doffed from the frame and the carrier beam 14 is being lowered to place the empty bobbins onto the spindles ofthe spinning frame.

As described in the aforementioned U.S. Pats. No. 3,059,406, and No. 3,123,967, pairs of empty bobbin graspers 16 and full bobbin graspers 18 are mounted on a carrier beam 14 which is moved over selected spinning frames for the purpose of doffing full bobbins from the frame and donning empty bobbins on the spindles for the next spinning cycle. The full bobbin graspers 16 are indirectly mounted to the carrier beam since they are directly connected to a channel beam 22 which is movable downward away from the carrier beam 14 and movable back into nesting relation to the carrier beam 14. The empty bobbin grasper is connected directly to the carrier beam 14 and moves only when the carrier beam 14 moves except for slight movement as hereinafter explained.

Secured to the top of the channel beam 22 is an elongated bar member 24 secured thereto by suitable means such as screws 26. Located at spaced intervals along the length of the bar member are holes 28 to accommodate the tapered head 30 of the spring loaded support member 32 which cooperates with the grasper 16 to secure the full bobbin 10in proper position and support the grasping portion of the grasper. U-shaped plate 34 is engaged by the top of the full bobbin l and is secured to the base 36 of the support member 32. Tapered head 30 is secured to the base 36 of the support member 32. Tapered head 30 is secured to the base 36 by a rod member 38 which projects through an opening 42 in the channel beam 22. Opening 40 in the bar member 24 is smaller than the opening 42 in the channel beam 22 to provide an upper restraining surface for the spring 46 which abuts the U-shaped support 34 at the bottom to resiliently position the support member 32.

Connected by the bracket 48 to the channel beam 22 is an air manifold 49 which extends the length of the channel beam and is supplied air under pressure when it is desired to grasp the full bobbin 10. Cylindrical member 50, which is supported by the U-shaped support 34, cooperates with a distensible elastic annulus 52, which is secured therein at the top and bottom by retaining rings 54, to form an air chamber 53. When air under pressure is supplied to the air manifold 49 this air passes through nipple 56, flexible hose member 58 and air connection 60 into the chamber 53 to expand the annulus 52 against the full bobbin 10 to firmly grasp the bobbin for movemerit.

In a manner very similar to that employed by the full bobbin grasper 16, the empty bobbin grasper 18 is resiliently mounted. An elongated bar member 62 is secured to the top of the carrier beam 14 by suitable means such as screws 64. Bar member 62 has spaced openings 66 therein to accom modate the tapered head portion 68 of the T-shaped support member 70 to which bell-shaped member 72 is screwed onto. Screwed into the end of bell-shaped member 72 is a ring member 74 which is connected to the cylindrical member 75 which forms the outside wall of the air chamber 76. Secured to the end of the cylindrical member 75 by set screws 77 is a bobbin guide member 78 with a flared out entrance 80 to guide the empty bobbins 12 into the grasper 18. To form the air chamber 76 a distensible elastic annulus 82 is secured at one end in the bobbin guide member 78 by a retaining ring 84 and is secured at the other end to the floating member 86. The floating member 86 is maintained a distance above the top of the cylindrical member 75 to provide an opening 88 for ingress and egress of air into the air chamber 76 between the annulus 82 and the cylindrical member 75. The floating member 86 is basically held above the cylindrical member 75 by the stiffness of the elastic annulus 82. Spring member 90 secured to the bottom of the floating member 86 and the top of cup member 92 also aids in spacing the floating member 86 from the cylindrical member 75. Spring member 90 also provides compensation for minor variations in the height of the spinning frame spindle rail without affecting the position of the grasper 18 since the spring member 90 can expand or contract without movement of the T-shaped member 70. In a manner like that of the full bobbin grasper 16 a spring member 94 is secured between the top of the bell-shaped member 72 and the bottom of the elongated bar member 62 to bias the empty bobbin grasper to the downward position.

To provide air under pressure to inflate the annulus 82, an air manifold 96 is secured to the underside of the carrier beam 14 by means of a suitable U-shaped bracket member 98. When it is desired to transport empty bobbins, air under pressure is supplied to the chamber 76 from the air manifold 96, through nipple 100, flexible hose 102, nipple 104, passage 106 in the T-shaped member 70 and through opening 88 into the chamber 76 to cause the annulus 82 to flex out and grasp the empty bobbin.

For reasons hereinafter explained a wire member 108 is mounted above the full bobbin grasper 16 by a suitable bracket 110 and wires 112 and 114 are mounted above the empty bobbin grasper 18 by another suitable bracket 116.

It should be noted that tapered shape of the heads 30 and 68 provides space between the side of the heads and the walls of the openings 28 and 66. This space allows the graspers l6 and 18 to be canted without damage to the graspers. Further in cooperation with the springs 46 and 94 the graspers will center themselves when the canting force on the graspers is released.

As discussed briefly when donning empty bobbins on empty spindles, it may be that the spindle is misaligned or that the empty bobbin in the grasper 18 is cocked at an angle which, with a rigidly mounted grasper, can cause a malfunction of the doffer or bending of the spindle. With the resilient mounting of the grasper as well as the grasper tapered head construction the grasper 18 is free, within a limited range, to swing in one direction or the other to compensate for the misalignment of the spindle or the bobbin in the grasper. This situation can also occur when the carrier beam 14 has delivered full bobbins to the loading station and is picking up empty bobbins for delivery to a spinning frame. If the condition is severe, either at the loading station or the spinning frame, the grasper 18 will be pushed up against the bias of the spring 94 causing the stop wires 1 12 or 1 14 to complete a circuit (not shown) to stop the action of the carrier beam until an operator can correct the situation to allow the dofimg cycle to continue.

As described the full bobbin graspers 16 are prone to encounter the same problems as the empty bobbin graspers except that the conditions are not usually as severe since the full bobbins are not being inserted onto a long slender spindle as is the case with the empty bobbins but at the time certain conditions are encountered which require the full bobbin graspers to be resiliently mounted also. One such condition would exist at the loading station when the full bobbins are being loaded on pegs and the pegs are misaligned. Again, if the misalignment is severe the full bobbin grasper 16 will be pushed upward against the bias of spring 46 causing the stop wire 108 to complete a circuit (not shown) to stop the action of the doffer until the operator can correct the defective condition.

Although we have described in detail the preferred embodiment of our invention, it is contemplated that many changes may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of our invention and we desire to be limited only by the claims.

That which is claimed is:

1. A bobbin holder arrangement comprising: a support, at least two bobbin holder members carried by said support, means resiliently supporting one of said bobbin holder members whereby said one bobbin holder member may move relative to said support and a floating member and a flexible gripping member operably associated with said bobbin holder members to hold bobbins in said members, said one bobbin holder member further including a resilient means to allow movement of said floating member and said flexible gripping member relative to said means to resiliently support said bobbin holder member, said means resiliently supporting said one bobbin holding member including a means to allow said bobbin holder member to self-center itself, said self-centering means including a tapered head portion and a supporting member, an opening in said supporting member, said opening being larger than said tapered head portion, said tapered head portion being supported in said opening providing a space between the walls of said opening and the walls of the tapered head portion. 

1. A bobbin holder arrangement comprising: a support, at least two bobbin holder members carried by said support, means resiliently supporting one of said bobbin holder members whereby said one bobbin holder member may move relative to said support and a floating member and a flexible gripping member operably associated with said bobbin holder members to hold bobbins in said members, said one bobbin holder member further including a resilient means to allow movement of said floating member and said flexible gripping member relative to said means to resiliently support said bobbin holder member, said means resiliently supporting said one bobbin holding member including a means to allow said bobbin holder member to self-center itself, said self-centering means including a tapered head portion and a supporting member, an opening in said supporting member, said opening being larger than said tapered head portion, said tapered head portion being supported in said opening providing a space between the walls of said opening and the walls of the tapered head portion. 